


Loneliness banished

by Writer_Merlin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Modern Era, Post-Canon, Resurrection, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29149866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_Merlin/pseuds/Writer_Merlin
Summary: Merlin does as he is told and waits a few centuries for Arthur to be resurrected. But it is not Arthur who appears through the smoke.
Relationships: Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	Loneliness banished

Merlin sat in his chair, heart pounding in his heart as he took account of the spacious room before him. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for so fervently, so patiently over the past fifteen hundred or so years. Ever since he said goodbye to Arthur by the shores of Avalon, he had longed to see the man he loved as a brother return to fulfil his destiny. The time he had spent alone on earth had been torture, deprived of friendship and love and company- well, there was Aithusa, and when he really wanted to talk to someone, he visited the shores of Avalon to talk to Freya, but they weren't the same. Aithusa never learnt to speak, and Freya was bound by so many magical constraints. Often, decades would go by before Merlin saw a human, let alone talked with one. He had taken to the life of a hermit in those first few centuries after Gwen died, and had moved back to urban populations only a couple hundred years ago. He trembled at the thought of seclusion, head and heart both going cold every time he thought of having to return to a life by himself. But no, that would never happen because today was the day. Merlin had been so happy to receive word from Freya that the time had come. He had rushed back to his flat, a spacious manor in the posh Belgravia area of London bought anonymously. Neighbours often wondered about the mystery inhabitant, but thanks to a set of charms Merlin had cast over the place, never came knocking without an invitation. Nor did anyone from the government, for that matter. 

After all the preparations had been made and the circle full of runes and spells had been chalked out on the floor, Merlin leapt up with a sigh, ready to cast the final spell. He gulped, closed his eyes and prayed this would work- he knew he wouldn't be able to handle failure at this stage. The room dimmed as Merlin muttered away under his breath, feeling the magic pulsing through his veins and charging out of his body and into the circle on the floor. He felt a gust of wind blowing in from nowhere, since the room did not have a window. Her opened his eyes, and right there, in the middle of the circle, smoke had begun to billow across the floor, swirling and spreading as it filled the room. Coughing, Merlin struggled to continue with the spell but forced himself. He hadn't waited fifteen centuries to be deterred by some smoke. 

Right then, all of a sudden, the wind dropped and everything fell silent. Merlin blinked. Right there, in the midst of all that smoke, was a figure. The smoke didn't disperse and the shadow grew closer and closer. Merlin peered into the smoke, trying to identify the person who he had brought back. Wait a moment, this wasn't Arthur, no! This person, whoever they were, were not the right height and build. As the person got closer through the thick smoke, Merlin stood at the ready, prepared to use his magic to defend himself against this creature if he had to. 

"Merlin!" called out the person, familiarity in the voice.

Merlin frowned, trying to place the voice. He had heard it before, he was sure of it. A long time ago, maybe, but yes. He definitely knew this person. The smoke began dispersing into thin air as Merlin tried to get a glimpse of the figure before him. He could now see his hair, thick, brown, and long. The smoke thinned out some more, and finally the man's face became clearer and clearer. Brown eyes full of mischief and warmth, an only too-confident smirk, and a stubble of a beard. Merlin felt his heart stop. Was this _him_? Wait, how? Was this really _him_? Merlin felt a farrago of blended emotions and thoughts attack him from all sides, and felt his knees wobble. Just as he was about to collapse to the floor with surprise, confusion, and wonder, the man in front of him caught him in his arms and grinned at him. 

"Well then, Merls, I knew I make you weak at the knees!"

It was Gwaine. Back from the dead, just like that. Merlin let out a whooping snort, which turned into genuine laughter, which soon gave way to the same trauma he had felt the day he arrived back in Camelot after laying Arthur to rest in Camelot. The day he found out from a very pained looking Gaius that Gwaine and Percival had gone after Morgana, and the knight hadn't made it back. The trauma he had felt every minute of every day for the rest of his existence up till this point, filled with regret at not being able to save not only Arthur but also the man he was secretly in love with. Regret at not having been able to share his feelings with that man. Merlin broke down completely in Gwaine's arms as the knight pulled him into his arms, holding him firmly. He throbbed with broken sobs in Gwaine's chest, holding onto the knight for life itself. All the while, Gwaine did not say a word, just holding Merlin and rubbing his back gently but firmly, and that was all Merlin needed. For many minutes he found it hard to believe any of this was real, but then, pulling apart from Gwaine's arms, he looked into the knight's eyes, full of what was pure joy and love. That was the only confirmation Merlin needed as he finally calmed down and took a seat on the rug next to Gwaine. 

"Fifteen centuries, Gwaine. That's the amount of time I spent here, thinking we would never meet again."

"That makes you braver than any man I have ever known, Merlin."

"You do know that I wanted to tell you, right? About my magic? So many times. When I came back to get you to help in the Perilous Lands, when we wound up in Jarl's pit, when you were the only person who checked in with me after Gaius was kidnapped, when we... when you wished me luck before I entered the Crystal Caves. That was the last time I saw you."

Merlin closed his eyes as the tears returned. He felt Gwaine pat him on the shoulder and looked back up, to see the knight looking at him with... well, Merlin couldn't really place the emotion.

"I figured it out, Merlin, the first time we met. Those pots and dishes didn't fly by themselves, did they? I knew you had a reason to keep it secret, and I never suspected you of any foul play, not when you were so selfless and kind in every action of every day."

Merlin nodded, feeling lightheaded. When he next spoke, it was a faint whisper.

"Why did you do it, Gwaine? Why did you go after Morgana?"

He didn't have the heart to look at Gwaine, knowing exactly what Morgana had subjected him to. The Nathair was a brutal memory for anyone who lived to survive its torture. Gwaine grimaced as he spoke,

"To be honest, I cannot say. The decision was extremely foolish, but that's just wisdom in retrospect. I... I wanted to help you, I knew you had a plan up your sleeve when we parted at the caves... I honestly didn't know what I should have..."

It was Merlin's turn to give Gwaine a hug, as the knight sat stone-faced remembering what he had been through. They sat there for what seemed like hours, arms on each others' shoulders and eyes on the floor. Merlin was lost in thought, but for once, happy. Gwaine was back. He would never be alone again. They would probably figure out the details with Freya. He smiled to himself in his head, still reeling over the surprise fate had dealt him. It was then that he felt Gwaine move, and looked to see him staring right into Merlin's eyes, looking anxious to say something.

"Merlin, I... now that I'm back, and I don't know why, I must be completely honest with you. I... I love you, Merlin." Merlin sat there dumbstruck, letting the words seep into him. Did Gwaine just say what he thought he did?

"I love you, and I always have. Ever since we got to know each other after I was made a knight." The knight smirked and continued with a sigh, "Truth be told, I fancied you the moment I woke up in your bed with that stab wound tended to and you treating me as a close friend even though you barely knew me... and you never tired of me, oh no! You were the only friend I had, and you even came looking for my help. I... I am sorry if I was too direct; this is... this is all new for me. It has only been brief flings and flirtations for me so far, but you... you are my love and my life, Merlin, and I don't want to lose you. Not now, when I have woken up after... after fifteen centuries. God, I hope I haven't pissed you off with-"

Merlin didn't let the knight ramble on incoherently any longer; he leant in and pressed a kiss to Gwaine's lips. They broke apart after a moment, both beaming at each other.

"Gwaine, I was in love with you. I always have been, despite our- our separation, and I still am. You are a much better human being than you give yourself credit for; you are a good man, Gwaine. _My_ good man."

Gwaine smiled warmly, for once not washing over a moment such as this one with a witty retort. 

"God, we've been fools, haven't we?" he said, shaking his head while grinning. "All those years, and we could have... But no, what am I saying? I would have died eventually and you would have been even lonelier... perhaps it was better this way."

Merlin cupped Gwaine's head and said, "Gwaine, if it meant spending one lifetime with you, I would have spent twice as long in worse conditions to make that happen. And who knows, perhaps I wouldn't even have had to, perhaps we could have found a way to help you live just like me, with me all these years, perhaps we would-"

He was cut off by Gwaine kissing him as he pulled him into another hug. 

"Shhh, love. We have each other now, and a lifetime ahead of us. Let us make the best of our time together."

Merlin smiled, tightening his grip around Gwaine, feeling safe and protected and loved. A lifetime with Gwaine. Oh yes, he could do that. He could do that many times over, forever and ever. They sat there in each other's arms for yet another period of silence, just revelling in the fact that they had each other now. All of a sudden, the room dimmed again and smoke gathered in the magic circle. Gwaine leapt to his feet, trying to get in front of Merlin to protect him, to which Merlin laughed. 

"Oh, don't worry, Gwaine! This is the spell I used just a while ago. Looks like we have company; Arthur will be here soon!"

Gwaine smirked. "Ah, I see the Princess is about to join us! Can't wait to pull more pranks on the Royal Prat with you magical assistance!" He winked at Merlin with an expression of impish delight. Merlin chortled as he lightly smacked Gwaine's arm.

Soon, another figure popped into the circle, and the smoke began to thin very gradually. Merlin could slowly make out the blonde hair, firm built, and the aura of majesty around the figure. He smiled and was about to call out Arthur's name when he noticed another figure beginning to form behind the King in the mist. This time, it was a woman. He could barely make out the dark skin, soft black hair, and elegance that marked this figure, when yet another figure appeared. Relatively shorter and stouter, the thinning smoke revealed this figure's white hair falling to the shoulders in curtains. Merlin could not believe what was happening. He looked to Gwaine, who was looking just as incredulous, but happily so. More figures appeared behind these. One tall, curly-haired blonde, one dark-skinned thin figure, another dark-haired strapping figure, and a well-built hulking close-cropped figure. Merlin let out a laugh of delight as Gwaine clasped his hand. He looked one more time at the man he loved, who went in for another kiss. The smoke was all but gone now and Merlin clapped his hands in delight on seeing the company assembled before him. Oh yes, life ahead would definitely not be lonely. His loneliness was relegated to the past, banished forever. 

**Author's Note:**

> And it's a wrap. Merlin and Gwaine deserved so much better. Gwaine's death was horrible, and Merlin's fate pathetic. Well, that had to be remedied. 
> 
> And yes, I am working on my other story (Through the Ages) as well. Will post an update this weekend. If you haven't heard of it, check it out! 
> 
> Thanks for reading; kudos and comments much appreciated!


End file.
